Stir-Fried Garlicky Kale with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Kale, deemed to be one of the healthiest vegetables is yet to be welcomed with open arms in our household. I have tried a few times and failed. I have tried to entice them with the fun kale chips and I have tried to hide it in pesto. So far, no luck. Hi, I am Sarani and I am back with a healthy side of Stir Fried Garlicky Kale which might just become a staple at our family meals. Fingers crossed!

Ingredients for Stir-Fried Garlicky Kale with Toasted Sesame Seeds

A bunch of Kale, washed and chopped

1 tsp of sesame oil

2 fat cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tbsp of soy sauce

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tsp of Chili flakes (optional)

How to make Stir-Fried Garlicky Kale with Toasted Sesame Seeds

First step to make this Stir-Fried Garlicky Kale with Toasted Sesame Seeds is to wash the bunch of kale very well. Roll the Kale leaves up into a bunch and chop with a sharp knife. Then transfer the chopped kale to a colander while you toast the sesame seeds.

While the chopped kale is hanging out in the colander, take the sesame seeds in a small skillet and toast them on medium heat for 3-5 minutes till lightly browned. Keep tossing as you toast the seeds. Toasting the sesame seeds will add an extra layer of flavor.

Now heat the sesame oil in an skillet on medium high heat and fry the garlic pieces till fragrant. Now add the chopped Kale leaves (+ stems) and cook till the leaves start wilting. Next add the soy sauce and season with salt, freshly cracked black pepper and red chili flakes. Toss to combine everything.

Transfer the Kale leaves to a bowl and lastly, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on it. Serve warm.

I am planning to serve the Stir-Fried Garlicky Kale with Toasted Sesame Seeds with a side of mashed sweet potatoes and baked tilapia.

Quinoa Bowl

Before we know it the New Year is upon us and like each year I made a promise to myself that I will try and incorporate healthier lunches. Hi.. I am Sarani and I am back with the recipe for this month – a healthy Quinoa Bowl. It is not so much of a recipe, rather an idea – you can throw in anything you want into your bowl just keeping in mind that you maintain a balance of protein, veggies and carb. (more…)

Rosé Sangria

It is that time of the year again when all I can think of are cookies, cakes and cookies and mulled wine by the cupfuls! But this year, I wanted to try out something new – a Rosé Sangria with a hint of spice.

Hi, I am Sarani and I am back this month with a Rosé Sangria which will be a perfect addition to the cocktail bar at your Holiday party. It is easy as breeze to make, delicious to the last drop and the ingredients couldn’t be any simpler.

Ingredients for Rosé Sangria

A bottle Rosé wine

A bottle of sparkling water or club soda

Slices of 2 oranges

Couple of apples, chopped

Handful of cranberries

Handful of raspberries

Couple of cinnamon sticks

1/4 tsp of cinnamon powder

1 tbsp of maple syrup

How to make Rosé Sangria

There is no need to splurge on a bottle of expensive wine for making sangria – I usually use a cheap bottle of wine for my sangria and the 365 brand of wines from Wholefoods are just perfect. Letting the flavors infuse overnight works best, but if you are in a rush cannot make time for it, make it early in the day of your party, and crush your fruits ever so slightly to help the wine absorb the fruity flavors. I do not like adding sugar to my sangria and many a time will switch out the maple syrup with honey. But you can use sugar or honey or maple syrup to sweeten your Rosé Sangria. As for choosing fruits, you can use apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, cranberries, raspberries, orange slices, lemon wedges.

I used apples and orange slices and cranberries and threw in some raspberries too, since I had some sitting in the fridge – I just loved how the reds and oranges made the Rosé Sangria look so festive.

Take a tall glass pitcher and add the chopped apple pieces, orange slices, fresh cranberries, raspberries, cinnamon stick and cinnamon powder. Pour in the Rosé wine, maple syrup and stir to mix. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight). The more time it sits, more the flavors of the fruits infuses and the more flavorful it becomes.

How to serve Rosé Sangria

Top it up with the sparkling water or club soda when you are ready to serve. Pour into glasses. To make it fancier, you can coat the rims of the glasses with cinnamon sugar. You can serve the Rosé Sangria chilled or at room temperature.

This green bean casserole in individual servings makes a delicious side dish for your holiday gathering. Sarani is sharing her delicious version of the classic green bean casserole.

Green Bean Casserole from Sarani

A Classic Holiday Side Dish in Individual Servings

Before we know it, we are in the 11th month of the year and gearing up for Thanksgiving and then the Holiday break. The part of India that I hail from believes in celebrating everything – our own festivals and then some. Growing up, we did not know about Thanksgiving but we did celebrate Christmas on the big scale. After moving to this country, we have embraced all the new holidays and enjoy celebrating the day in a way everybody else does. So now it is time to whip up some Fall flavors, and I knew that I was definitely try my hands at this individual Green Bean Casserole before I moved on to Holiday goodies.

Avocado Pesto Dip – a favorite game time appetizer.

Who does not love to munch on yummy food while their favorite teams are playing or their favorite game season is on TV. I know we do. Our favorite go to snacks are Spicy Chicken Wings and Guacamole w/Chips. And this Avocado Pesto Dip is a spin on guacamole and a brilliant way to finish up leftover pesto.

Hi, I am Sarani and I am back with a Game Day Appetizer that is a breeze to make and a crowd-pleaser!

Pesto is such a versatile sauce. You can add it to your pasta or rice, use it to marinate your chicken or make a quick weeknight shrimp dinner by tossing some spaghetti in it and throwing in some shrimps fried in butter. Yum.

How to make Avocado Pesto Dip

Pit and scoop out the flesh of an avocado, sprinkle a little lemon juice on it and keep aside. In a blender or food processor, add the basil leaves, cilantro leaves, pine nuts, smashed garlic, salt and freshly cracked black pepper along with the remaining lemon juice and give it a couple of pulses. Drizzle the olive oil in slowly and blend till everything comes together. Throw in the avocado and run the blender till everything comes together into a smooth paste.